De la Renta, who was in Houston recently for a Friends of Child Advocates benefit, closes the phone. "That was my son," he says, searching for a button to silence the phone's ringer. "I don't know how to work it."

For a fashion designer who has earned the adoration of women around the globe, a trendy cell phone seems like an insignificant challenge. It's a necessity for a man with an empire estimated at $100 million, a 40-year-old fashion house and a client list that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush. At age 73, the Dominican Republic native remains a rock in an industry that is forever changing. He is consistently known for creating elegant and classic women's clothing.

In the 1970s, he led the industry with colorful Gypsy and Russian-inspired styles. He continued to use rich fabrics like taffetas, tulle with sequins, as well as ruffles, to create romantic and sexy evening wear. His suits are known for being sophisticated with embellishments like ornate beading, fringes and fur.

Through the years, de la Renta has created everything from perfume to jewelry, and his clothing collections have been favored by celebrities, socialites and working women. His new line of shoes, Oscar by Oscar de la Renta footwear, is slated to hit upscale stores this summer.

De la Renta says his freshness comes from his ability to stay young. "What makes my work really exciting is that I have a lot of young talent around me. The only way to reinvent yourself is to be challenged by young people," he says.

His stepdaughter, Eliza Bolen, 36, is his company's vice president of licensing. Her husband, Alex Bolen, 37, is the company's chief executive officer. Both have helped the company court a younger audience. In 2004, the company unveiled O Oscar — a more affordable line with all items retailing for less than $100 — in an effort to attract a wider market. And Moisés de La Renta, 21, whom the designer adopted as a baby from an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, has launched a line of pricey T-shirts that have a youthful appeal.

"Never in the history of time has there been a woman more in control of her destiny than today. It makes it far more challenging for designers, but sometimes so much more exciting," he says.

De la Renta says the feminine aesthetic that is so apparent in his collections comes from growing up as the only boy in a family of six sisters. He gained experience as a fashion illustrator in Spain. He later became a designer for Balenciaga and worked for Elizabeth Arden. De la Renta started his line in the mid-1960s.

His feminine styles may be the reason he's a coveted designer for presidential first ladies. (In addition to Clinton and Bush, he also created looks for Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan.)

"Fashion is non-political. The very first time I dressed Mrs. Bush, I wasn't sure if she wanted to wear my clothes, since I was so identified with Mrs. Clinton. But Mrs. Bush arrived at the shoot wearing a red suit of mine that she bought in Austin," de la Renta says. "For any American designer, it's a tremendous honor to dress the first lady. No one remembers how the first lady of France dresses, but they do remember the American first lady."

De la Renta is humble and reserved about his popularity. But when he talks about Moisés, he's filled with emotion.

He adopted Moisés after his first wife, Franoise, died of cancer. He still works with orphanages in the Dominican Republic and New York. He's actively involved with New Yorkers for Children, a nonprofit group that assists children, mostly African-American and Hispanic, in foster care.

"I adore my son," de la Renta says. "You know, I never ever planned to do this (adopt). It just happened. Moisés was the youngest child there. He was sickly and would catch everything."

He says Moisés gave him and his second wife, Annette, a difficult time "between the ages of 14 and 18, when boys start to have a mind of their own. But there is not a single second that I regret what I did."

Tears flow again.

"I'm sorry," he says. "But the other day I almost killed him!"

De la Renta explains that Moisés purchased six bottles of wine totaling $3,000 to celebrate his 21st birthday. He had permission to buy wine but never asked the price.

"He just bought the names of wines he had heard of. I was so angry," de la Renta says. "He has no sense of money, but if you give Moisés $10 to take a taxi somewhere, he'll give it to a homeless person on the street and will walk. That, to me, is a precious thing."